Countdown to election time

Early voting begins

PRINCETON — Registered voters get ready … early voting begins on Monday for the March 18 primary election.

Bureau County Clerk Kami Hieronymus said early voting polls for Bureau County registered voters are available at her office, located at 700 S. Main St. in Princeton, and also at Spring Valley City Hall, located at 215 N. Greenwood St. in Spring Valley.

Her office will be open for early voting weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and also on Saturdays, March 8 and March 15, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for early voting only. Spring Valley early voting polls are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, with March 14 being the last day to vote early in Spring Valley.

Also, voters who cannot make it to the polls on the March 18 primary election day may apply for an absentee ballot, Hieronymus said. The application for the ballot is available by calling her at 815-875-2014, or by downloading an application from the county clerk’s website. The application needs to be completed before a ballot is sent in the mail, Hieronymus said.

Looking ahead to this year’s primary, Hieronymus said Bureau County has 107 young people, who are 17 years of age, who qualify to vote in the primary and have become registered voters. A new law states that if a young person will be 18 years old by the November election, he/she can register and vote in the primary election. Prior to this law, all voters had to be 18 years old to vote in any election.

As far as local contested races, Bureau County will have two county-wide contested races, both for the Republican Party. Four candidates, Allan Beaber, William Rosenow, Alexander Arauza and James Shipp, are seeking the Republican Party’s nomination for the office of Bureau County Sheriff. Two candidates, Courtney Yates-Mabry and Derek Whited, are seeking the Republican Party nomination for the office of Bureau County Treasurer.

Voters in Spring Valley, Arlington, the Cherry Grade School District, and the Tiskilwa Rural Fire Protection District will all have referendum questions on their ballots.